Ratcliffe, aged 71, is set to acquire a 25 percent ownership stake in Manchester United. Reports from the i newspaper suggest that his partial ownership could receive approval by next week, with a deadline set by the end of November for the completion.
The British entrepreneur is anticipated to take full control of the club’s sports-related decisions. This includes pivotal choices, such as determining the future of the under-pressure manager Erik ten Hag.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano highlighted that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have the authority to make critical decisions regarding the manager, the board, directors, and all sporting activities at Manchester United. This shift is expected to bring about a substantial alteration in the club’s operations and could introduce a new sporting director, potentially sourced from Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group.
Despite the recent disappointing 3-0 loss to Manchester City in the derby, it’s reported that Ratcliffe has already made up his mind about Ten Hag’s future. The i newspaper claims that ‘Sir Jim Ratcliffe won’t dismiss Erik ten Hag,’ displaying unwavering faith in the Dutchman. However, Ten Hag is likely to have his responsibilities curtailed in two major changes.
Ratcliffe is set to authorize a comprehensive evaluation of the club to assess its efficacy. Notably, a key change is the removal of player recruitment from Ten Hag’s purview. The strategy of acquiring players familiar to the manager, either from his past teams or the Eredivisie, is deemed ineffective, prompting the decision to entrust player recruitment to dedicated experts, allowing Ten Hag to focus solely on coaching the team.
Former Monaco chief Paul Mitchell is indicated as a potential candidate to lead the new recruitment strategy at Manchester United. Mitchell, considered a frontrunner for the role of sporting director, has connections with Ratcliffe from their time at Monaco. Ratcliffe, who also owns Nice in France, shared proximity with Mitchell during their time there.
Despite these significant alterations, the i emphasizes that Ten Hag will remain in his managerial role. Ratcliffe reportedly believes that a mid-season dismissal would convey the wrong message. Additionally, Ten Hag is esteemed for his prior achievements, such as winning the EFL Cup and securing Champions League qualification last season.
Ratcliffe is also intent on avoiding the excessive spending and managerial turnovers witnessed at Chelsea since 2022 under Todd Boehly and others, where they’ve spent over a billion pounds on new signings and seen rapid changes in leadership.